Spoke-socket



PATENT tric WILLIAM LOUIS MRRAY, OF EUTAV, ALABAMA.

SPOKE-SOCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,600, dated February 14, 1899.

Application filed May 7, 1898, Serial No. 680.029. (No model.)

To LZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LOUIS MUR- RAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eutaw, in the county of Greene and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Spoke-Sockets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

This invention relates to spoke-sockets; and the principal object of the invention is to provide novel and efficient means whereby the spokes of a vehicle-Wheel may be adjusted relatively to the rim for the purpose of expanding the rim and rendering the entire rim tightin relation to the remainder of the wheel, thereby preventing any loosen ess between the rim, spokes, and hub and obviating all rattling and at the same time increasing the life and durability of the Wheel.

An incidental but no less important object of the invention is to construct the spokesocket in such manner as to materially increase the strength at the point of junction between the spoke and rim, thereby preventing the tenons ofthe spoke from being broken off, at the same time materially increasing the strength of the rim, the rim under the present construction not requiring the formation of mortises or openings to receive the tenons on the spokes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the course of the subjoined description.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and relative arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and incorporated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-section through a rim, showing also the end portion of a spoke, thimble, saddle, and adjusting-sleeve in section. Fig. 2 is a socket. view of the adj listing-sleeve.

lar view of the saddle. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the thimble.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings accompanying this specilication, 1 designates the spoke; 2, the wheelrim; 3, the spoke-thimble; 4, the adjustingsleeve, and 5 the saddle.

The spoke 1 is provided in the ordinary manner with a tenon 6, formed by reducing the end of the spoke, and the reduction in the end of the spoke is formed so as to leave an oblique or conical shoulder 7.

The thixnble 3 is provided with an enlarged cylindrical end 8, designed to fit snugly and tightly around the spoke 2, and also comprises a reduced cylindrical end 9, which fits tightly around the tenen G, the thimble also comprising an oblique or conical portion 10, which fits closely to the corresponding shoulder 7 of the spoke. The thimble thus fits tightly around the spoke at all points adjacent to the rim, and in addition to greatly strengthening the spoke at such points it also prevents any liability of the spoke splitting or a tenon breaking off.

The saddle 5 comprisesside or cheek portions 11, which embrace the sides of the rim, and the portions 11 are provided upon their inner surfaces with ribs 12, which enter and engage notches 13 in the inner opposite corners of the rim or felly, thereby preventing any relative movement between the saddle and Jthe felly and obviating the creepingl or slipping of the ends of the spokes longitudinally of the rim. The saddle also comprises an inwardly-extending tubular portion 14, adapted to receive snugly the portion 9 of the thimble, the upper end of the tubular portion 14 being flared to form a conical shoulder 15, designed to bear against the conical portion 10 of the thimble and form a seat therefor.

The part 14 is exteriorly threaded, as indicated at 16, to receive an internally-threaded adjusting-sleeve 17, and said sleeve 17 is provided at its upper or outer edge with a conical shoulder 18, also designed to bear against the shoulder l0 of the thimble. The sleeve 17 is rabbeted at its inner edge, as indicated at 19, to fit snugly over and embrace an an- IOO receive the tenons of the spoke, and thus the strength of the rim is not in any way impaired. In setting up a wheel the extremities of the tenons 6 bear against or are arranged in close proximal relation to the inner surface of the rim, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with the portions 9 of the thimbles 3 seated in the bores of the tubular portions 14 of the saddle. The adjusting-sleeves 4 lit around the portions 14 of the saddle, and the shoulders 15 and 18 bear against the shoulder lO of the thimble. Now when a spoke becomes loose it is only necessary to turn the adj listing-sleeve 17 in the proper direction, whereupon the shoulder 18 of said sleeve will cooperate with the shoulder lO of the thimble and the distance between the shoulder 10 and the rim or felly will be slightly increased, thereby in effect forcing the rim or felly outward and taking up any looseness which may have been present in the spoke. In a similar manner all of the spokes of the wheel may be effectively tightened.

To facilitate the turning of the sleeves 1'7, they are provided exteriorly with iiat wrenchengaging surfaces, so that a wrench may be applied thereto in a manner readily understood by those familiar with the art to which this invention pertains. By the construction set forth it will be seen that it is practically impossible to break off the tenons of the spokes, which, as is well known, is constantly occurring in wheels of the ordinary construction, where the tenon enters an opening or socket in the rim. At the same time the rim is left solid in cross-section and the strength thereof is not impaired. In addition to this a much larger bearing-surface is obtained between the end of the spoke and the rim, due to the breadth of the base of the saddle 5 where it embraces the rim. The saddle thus constructed prevents any tendency of the spoke to cant or twist and materially increases the strength, life, and durability of the wheel as a whole.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

l. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination with a felly, of a spoke terminating at or near the inner surface of the felly, but not entering the felly, a metallic thimble fitted upon the end of the spoke, a saddle connected to the felly and designed to receive said thimble,- and an adjusting-sleeve havingathreaded engagement with the saddle and bearing against the shoulder on the spoke-thimble, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination with a felly, and spoke, of a metallic thimble surrounding the end of the spoke and comprising a beveled or conical shoulder, a saddle fast on the rim and comprising atubular portion receiving the end of the thimble and spoke, and an adjusting-sleeve surrounding and having a threaded engagement with the tubular portion of the thimble and having an inclined-` annular shoulder cooperating with the beveled shoulder of the spoke-thimble, substantially as described.

3. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination with a felly, and a spoke having a reduced end forming a tenon, and a conical or tapering shoulder at the j nnction of the tenon with the spoke, of a saddle having a broad base and cheek portions to embrace the rim, a tubular and exteriorly-threaded portion, an annular rib orenlargement at thejunction of the tubular portion with the base of the saddle, ametallic thimble fitted on the end of the spoke and having a beveled shoulder, and an adjusting-sleeve fitting around the tubular portion of the saddle and provided with a conical shoulder cooperating with the tapering shoulder of the thimble and also having its opposite edge rabbeted to receive the annular enlargement of the saddle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination with a rim and spoke, of a saddle having an extended base with cheek portions embracing the opposite sides of the rim and also provided upon its inner side with ribs to engage notches in the opposite inner corners of the rim, an inwardly-extending tubular portion on the saddle, a metallic thimble Iitted tightly upon the end of the spoke and having a beveled annular shoulder, and an adjusting-sleeve having a threaded engagement with the saddle and provided with an inclined shoulder cooperating with the beveled shoulder on the thimble, all arranged for joint operation substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signatureV in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM LOUIS MURRAY.

lVitnesses:

E. D. JENKINS, H. T. HERNDON.

IOO 

